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Wednesday, November 30, 2016

October last year I set a resolution to complete 7 marathon. And today I run my no. 7..I aim for a sub 5 seeing that my timing for back to back run last 2 weekend was good (at least to me)..For the past 2 weeks, I increase the intensity of the training despite workload at the office. I really really really wanted that sub 5 and nothing less..A sub 5 marathon as the final one would be the highlight of this journey to complete the 7 marathon. And I would then happily call this a curtain call. That was what I thought earlier *drama queen alert*.But little that I know today I am going to eat the humble pie. My body just refuse to run. And I walk most of the time. For the first time I question myself, why going on with this torture when I know I am not going to hit the timing I really wanted..But I continue walking anyway. (Partly because I cannot find the shuttle bus for those who want to DNF)..It was after Subuh prayer (Km 30) that I finally find my momentum to run the balance 12km. We were crossing the bridge after the dawn. And it was beautiful. And calming..Then only I remember the reason why I run at the 1st place. It makes me happy. As simple as that. Just me against me, mile by mile..This journey was not meant to be about PB per se. It always got to be more than that.(Written post PIBM2016)

Monday, May 26, 2014

I am quite old fashioned and have taken too much pride in being conservative adult. But most of my friends are of the extrovert tribe and sometimes they do stuff that they considered fun. So they registered me with this run, which I considered quite childish at first.

Credit: Image from Google

This zombie run is not a typical run where you have to run a significant distance within certain cut off time. I was told by my friend, in her attempt to persuade me to join, that it is more like our childhood game "police sentry".

Being adamant, I brushed my friend off, and told her, "I never enjoyed playing police sentry as a child, why would I enjoy playing it as an adult now?"

My friends registered my name anyway. Part of it, I guess because she didn't have much option as to participate required a team of 4 person.

So upon reporting that morning, we were given a vest each with red triangle strapped at the back of the vest.

The vest with detachable triangle flag at the back.

We have to go through the trail route, which is quite uneven, grassy and sometimes a little bit (really little) muddy.

In doing that, we have to keep an eye for those zombies who aimed to detach the triangle from the back of our vest. Those who able to finish the route with the triangle still intact at the back of the vest will be awarded the certificate of SURBIBOR. The team of at least 3 SURBIBOR and finish the fastest will be the winner and stand a chance to win tickets to Bali for four person.

Pretty tempting, right?

Almost 1km of uneven trail. Have to be watchful of zombies and at the same careful of your steps.

Failed attempt to zoom the wandering zombies. LOL.

Coming back to the run, I started strong. Keeping myself and my team with the herd. It is a simple law of the jungle. As long as you keep yourself with the herd you will be fine.

But as we go further, the number of zombies become bigger. And I am quite a screamer. Screaming, my friends, will double up the energy consumed and eat up your stamina faster.

So somehow, while busy screaming and running simultaneously, I was separated from the herd and become a lonely baby sheep. I was ambushed by a big number of zombies and there goes my triangle.

After my triangle was taken off, I walked along the route to the finish line being invisible from those zombies. They will no longer bother you. So it is more like a walk in the park after that.

The outcome: I enjoyed this run as much as the other runs. Sort of therapy as we have reason to scream our lungs out. I did scream louder during the run compared to on roller coaster (especially when I noticed there was a muscular zombie crouching like a tiger behind me. I screamed loudest at that time and attract an ambush from those zombies. Damn. Checkmate on that). I will not hesitate to join if the fee and time permits next year.

Saturday, May 17, 2014

I have been neglecting running for quite sometimes. I am working on something else ( that i consider big, at least big for me) and I am keeping notes on that. I'll publish the notes once I reach my aim. Please pray for my success, shall we?

The last time I did run is in 2014 Penang Newton Challenge (last 3 months ago) which I don't wish to talk much except the route for that run is superb and challenging where we have to take the route via Penang hill, (if I am not mistaken). That's the only nice thing that I can think of about Penang Newton Challenge.

But for this Larian Keputeraan Sultan Azlan Shah or better known as Clifford Race I seriously can talk on and on and on about that run.

The following are the reasons why I applaud the organiser of this Clifford Race:

1. The safety of the runners are properly taken care of and seem to be the priority of the organiser. A lot of RELA and volunteers were deployed to control the traffic for the runners especially in crossing the road. And I really admire the patience of these RELA and volunteers in discharging their duties. Good job.

2. The fee is really a value for money- rm 20 for 15km run.

On these two grounds alone, I was convinced that this run going to be awesome. But the awesomeness don't stop there. There are more reasons to love this run.

3. The organiser of this run really really put their effort to appreciate runners. I think there were at least 4 water stations. And at 2nd and 3rd water stations, they offered fresh fruits like banana and honeydew in addition to isotonic drinks and mineral water. They also serve kuih muih and hot banana fritters, but I don't really want to upset my stomach, so I give the kuih muih a pass.

And 4th water station is the best! Why? They served coconut drinks. The feeling of having the coconut drinks during the run is so refreshing. And who would have thought few sips of coconut drink would change the mood and bring more positive vibe despite the long run (long run according to my lack of stamina ;p ). I literally stopped at water station 4 and had the drink while enjoying the beautiful view of sungai perak.

4. People in Kuala Kangsar is simply awesome. We were crossing few villages on the route and what these elderly did were, they went out and gathered along the village path where the runners supposed to pass and cheered us with words of encouragement, "teruskan anakanda", "bagus anakanda" that sort of things... The feeling is like having your mother cheering for you. Hahahaha.

And even most of the hawkers, 'makcik makcik penjual kuih tepi jalan' offered us free food as a mean to encourage us. That was quite rare and was a pleasant surprise.

The runners were all in good spirit, saying hye to each other. Something that was quite new to me and I did enjoy it.

I don't normally put on my smile along the run (as I am not a good runner,yet and normally too tired to bother people) but this run was an exception as I have to smile and greet all the nice people all along the run.

5. Reason number five is purely personal as I just love small town like Kuala Kangsar. I don't know. May be I am an old soul trapped in young body. So by holding the run in Kuala Kangsar, it already win half of my heart then.

Further, the route offered us breathtaking view along the bridge and of course while crossing the village. So this gave us the chance to explore Kuala Kangsar in a much different way.

6. They gave us a nice medal in a nice bag. And the official tshirt is green dri fit shirts. And I love green. So that's awesome.

So I would like to congratulate the organiser of this Clifford Race. Well done and thank you.

Sunday, November 24, 2013

2nd attempt at my sixty-minutes-aim. I really hope I can make it this time but I am still not fast enough.

Most of the route is uphill, and quite steep as compared to Putrajaya BSN. So I had to run loose at every downhill track to make up for the time lost while I am going uphill.

10 metres before water station 2 is pretty tormenting, well at least for me. I seriously can see flashback of what I did in this 2 months gap from the last run. While breathing heavily, I curse myself for not giving enough commitment in training, for giving in to those sinfully delicous oily and full of fats snacks at the middle of the night, for lack of protein and daily water intake etc

But I told my body, it is too late to regret now. As hurt as it may feel now, we have to get out from this mess together asap. You may want me to stop, but we will stop at nothing until we reach finish line.

I completed the run couple of minutes faster than the last run. Well at least there is teeny whiny improvement. So thank you dear muscle and flabby fats of mine for not giving in to the temptation to quit, for keep on walking when we dont have the means to run and for being able to run again during the last stretch.

Promise that we will take this as lesson learnt and promise that we will stick up to our training plan come rain or shine, shall we?

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

For those who are training his mind and body for next run, for those who are in the middle of struggle to achieve your aim, for those who have tried so hard but to no avail and come this close to call it a quit, do remember you are not alone. We are all fighting the same battle. Only different demons.

And this is for you. For us.

The speech behind this video is from TCU Baseball - The Grind. And the full transcript of the speech is right down below.

Watch it, be inspired, and live like you are going to die tomorrow. "Train through fears, train through doubt, but above all Never Quit".

Speech TCU Baseball - The Grind

"Rise and shine,

its 6am and your hand can’t make it to the alarm clock before the voices in your head start telling you that it’s too early, too dark, and too cold to get out of bed.

Aching muscles lie still in rebellion pretending not to hear your brain commanding them to move,

a legion of voices are shouting their unanimous permission for you to hit the snooze button and go back to dream land, but you didn’t ask their opinion.

The voice you’ve chosen to listen too is one of defiance, a voice that says there was a reason that you set that alarm in the first place. So sit up, put your feet on the floor and don’t look back because we have work to do. Welcome to the grind.

For what is each day but a series of conflicts between the right way and the easy way, 10,000 streams fan out like a river delta before you with each one promising the path of least resistance, the thing is your headed up stream and when you make that choice, when you decide to turn your back on what’s comfortable, what’s safe, and someone would call common sense, well that’s day one.

From there it only gets tougher, so just make sure this is something that you want because the easy way out will always be there ready to wash you away, all you have to do is pick up your feet.

But you aren’t going to, are you?

With each step comes the decision to take another. You’re on your way now, but this is no time to dwell on how far you have come.

You’re in a fight against an opponent you can’t see but you can feel them on your heels, cant you,? Feel them breathing down your neck, you know what that is, that’s you.

Your fears, your doubts, your insecurities all lined up like a firing squad ready to shoot you out of the sky, but don’t lose heart, though they are not easily defeated, they are far from invincible.

Remember, this is the grind, the battle royal between you and your mind, your body, and the devil on your shoulder whose telling you that this is just a game, this is just a waste of time; your opponents are stronger than you.

Drown out the voice of uncertainty with the sound of your own heart beat, burn away yourself doubt with a fire lit beneath you, remember what we’re fighting for and never forget that momentums: a cruel mistress; she can turn on a dime on the smallest mistake, she is ever searching for a weak place in your armor, that one tiny thing that you forgot to prepare for. So as long as the devil is hiding the details, the question remains, is that all you got? are you sure?

And when the answer is yes and when you have done all you can to prepare yourself for battle then it’s time to go forth and boldly face your enemy, the enemy within.

Only now you must take that fight into the open, into hostile territory, you’re a lion in a field of lions all hunting the same elusive prey with a desperate starvation that says victory is the only thing that can keep you alive.

So believe that voice that says you can run a little faster and you can throw a little harder and that for you the laws of physics are merely a suggestion.

Luck is the last dying wish of those who wanna believe that winning can happen by accident, sweat on the other hand is for those who know it’s a choice, so decide now because destiny waits for no man.

And when your time comes and a thousand different voices are trying to tell you you’re not ready for it, listen instead for that lone voice in dissent; the one that says you are ready, you are prepared, it’s all up to you now, so rise and shine "

Friday, November 8, 2013

3 old friends. A roadtrip. Upnorth. With no particular place in mind.
Only due date.

It is only ideal if we can go north, further up north until we go bankrupt.
I like my life: my current life, but there is something fulfilling in not knowing the place and people that we are going to see tomorrow.

And when its about to end, I just hope I can not to come back.
Maybe I am happiest when I am on the road.

Monday, October 21, 2013

103 days since I started "balance and almost-eat-clean" diet.
33 days since I started workout / running.

1st time running competitively. My core muscle is all screaming sores but I have my widest smiles tattooed on my lips :)

The timing was something that I am not really proud of. It was 30 minutes passed my personal target. I can foresee, if one day I could run faster, this timing is something that I would like to erase from my record :P

But, what I would cherish is the effort and courage that I made for this run.

Because, literally, every stride that I made means me forgetting the pain in the recent past.

Hopefully, by next year I would be in my fighting shape to scale another hills / mountain.

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

if u dont hear anything from her, know that she is struggling to find her ground to stand back on her two feet; painstakingly looking for that momentum to run again; and between all of that, she would be busy holding tears from streaming down her face.

life is a marathon. she knows that she can finish this race, steadily. but now is one of her weakest moment. those moments where she began to doubt herself and start comparing with others.

those moments that she dont appreciate companion or bystander. for she thinks someone might enjoy watching while she bleed.

even she, sometimes, lost words to comfort this raging heart of hers, so she dont think people would know her heart better.

this depressing stage is nothing to parade. and its not about you. so, sit back and relax. she is okey and breathing. please pray that everything that supposed to be happy will be.